Before the Storm
by LucieeBabeex
Summary: Roxy Tyler's life changes forever when she gets changed into a vampire by the Cullens. When another coven visits and seems intrigued by the family what will happen? Is all as it seems?
1. The End

I don't really have much of an introduction to say, but basically, just enjoy!

At the start of each chapter in my Author's note I will try to reply to all reviews, but if I accidently miss you out, don't panic, just let me know! And yes. Lissi. I did steal this idea off you. I love you though :)

_**Disclaimer: **Nothing from Twilight is mine. I own nothing of it. The characters ect. all belong to Stephenie Meyer. I only own the story line of this fanfic._

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**_Before the Storm  
_(Chapter 1 - The End)**

I blinked at the sun that was shining brightly through the car window.

"Do we _have_ to go and see Auntie Emily?" I complained.

_Why_ today? _Why_ the day all my best friends were off to sunny New York, _without_ me, while we drive off to the rainiest town in the continental US. Why. Mom turned to look at me with a stern expression on her face.

"Roxanne. _Of course _we have to go! It's her birthday! Emily never misses one of yours, the least you could do is return the favour."

I sighed heavily. Moms don't understand. Well, mine doesn't anyway.

"Mom, this trip is the biggest thing of the year! And I told you; I don't like being called Roxanne. It's Roxy."

"Honey, it's only February! If you really want to go to New York then we can go later on in the year."

Dad snorted keeping his eyes on the road.

"Have fun getting enough money for that."

"Oh Matt, give it a rest," said mom rolling her eyes.

"Ugh. Mom, I don't want _any_ trip. It's _this_ trip."

I was really getting frustrated now. How could she not understand how important this is?! Now she was the one getting frustrated. I could always tell. Her eyebrows would pull together and her mouth would pull down at the corners.

"Listen Roxanne—"

"Roxy!!"

"Fine then. Roxy, we are going to Forks and that is final. Suck it up."

Ugh. She only wanted to go to Forks to see that stupid doctor again anyways. Last year it was feeling faint. The year before it was 'sickness'. She hadn't even had a fever! And to be perfectly honest, I didn't see what all the fuss was about anyway. I mean sure he was handsome, but he's married! And so is she! Mom has my dad, so she doesn't need to be running around after some tall, blonde dude. Which was a perfectly good reason to turn around and go home, but I wasn't going to say it out loud. I was defeated and mom knew it. I wasn't going to get what I wanted, so I settled down in the back of the car to sulk.

--

I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew it was dark outside and the only thing I could hear was mom shouting to me over the cars rumbling engine.

"Roxy darling, we're nearly there. Wake up, love."

I grumbled slightly and rubbed my eyes. "How long was I out?" I mumbled.

"Almost all the way," she said as she turned to grin at me. "You always could sleep anywhere, anytime."

"Ah, she got that from you then, Alice," Dad said with a laugh.

I rolled my eyes with a smile on my face. They were always like this. "Oh Matt look she's got your nose!" "Yes but she really looks like you in this picture!" To be honest, I didn't look much like either of them. I think look more like my grandma when she was my age. I have the same slim build of my body, the same oval shape of my face, the same Brown with a tinge of dark Red in my eyes. I even had the same bright red colour in my hair that she had. Mum keeps trying to get me to dye it dark brown, but I like it how it is. It's unique, and I like that. A wavy, long bob with a side fringe, exactly like Gran's was.

She hated it when I called her Gran. She always said to me, "Listen kid, I've stopped calling you Roxanne, so you can stop calling me Gran. It makes me sound old." And she wasn't that old at all, considering how old some people's grandparents are. Ruth, as she liked us to call her, was only 14 when she had my mom. A moment of madness that led to a lifetime of responsibility. My mom was now 38, so Ruth was only 52. Mom got pregnant with me when she was 22, but Ruth wanted her to wait a little longer before having a kid. She kept telling mom how it had crushed her when she found out, even though she grew to love her. But my mum just said that she would grow to love me, and that she was keeping me.

Thinking about how much my mom sacrificed in her life, because of how much she loved me, made me feel bad about our earlier argument. I sat up and stretched a little, hearing my joints pop where they were stiff. I cleared my throat quietly. This was going to be interesting. I hated apologizing to my mom, purely because she would gloat for hours afterwards. Oh well, here it goes…

"Uhm… mom?" I cleared my throat again.

"Yes honey?" she said, turning her face in my direction but not looking directly at me. I could tell she was smirking, knowing what I was about to say. God dammit. I knew this was a bad idea. I sighed but continued anyway.

"Mom, I'm sorry about before. You know, the whole New York thing.

You were… right." I watched the grin spread across her face. Knowing the damage was already done, I figured I might as well finish off the stupid apology.

"We only get to see Auntie Emily once a year and New York is something we can do whenever. You were right. Sorry." There. Done.

"Oh Roxy, it's fine honey. I get how important it is to you. I'm the one who should be sorry." Wait, what? I stared at her in shock, probably overreacting, but still. She stared back smiling at me.

" What, no 'I told you so' or 'You should listen to me more'?" I asked.

Mom laughed at me. Also strange. Sheesh, what was with her? "Well, you're 16 now Roxy. You're old enough now to understand that family is extremely important. Life goes by too fast and you never know how much time you have left."

Woah. What was in her breakfast this morning?! I smiled thinking about what she had said, and it was then that I noticed the speed that we were driving.

"Hey, uhm, speaking of flying by, we're driving a bit fast aren't we, dad?"

"Nah we'll be fine Rox. You worry too much," Dad said, waving his hand in dismissal.

"But dad, it's freezing out there! The road is practically a sheet of ice, and we're speeding down it!!"

I saw his shoulders rise and fall as he let out a huff of irritation.

"Give it a rest Roxanne. I know what I'm doing!" It was at that moment that I felt the car jolt strongly.

Panic rose in my throat as it dawned on me just how dangerous the road really was.

"If you know what you're doing, then why did we just skid on a patch of ice?!" I yelled.

"Oh for God's sake, Roxanne!! It was probably just a dint in the road or something!! Give it a rest!!" he shouted back.

He could be so stubborn at times! But this time he wasn't right, and I wasn't going to let it drop.

"Mom will you _please _tell your husband to stop being so idiotic and drive like a sane person!!" I said loudly through gritted teeth.

"Roxanne, you're not the one driving. Let your Dad do what he wants to. We're already in Forks anyway, five more minutes and we'll be there,"

mom said sternly. She was just as bad as him! Anger boiled up inside me like fire. It burned every part of me, my hands, my ankles, my throat. I'd never been this angry before, but to be fair, I'd never been in danger of death by dangerous driving by my idiotic father before.

"Listen to me!! Stop being so ridiculous and SLOW DOWN!!" I screamed. I glanced out the window but everything was a blur.

Dad took his eyes off the road to turn and glare at me. "Roxanne Tyler, don't you DARE speak to me like that!!" he shouted.

I was almost hyperventilating now. We were skidding and sliding all over the place and dad was ignoring it to prove that he was right! Well he wasn't, not this time!

"You are going to get us killed, KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD!!" I screamed at him.

"Matt look out!!" mom cried.

Dad spun round to face the road again in time to see a fallen tree blocking our passage. I saw the truth dawn on his face as we sped towards it. He slammed his foot down on the brake pedal, but it was useless because of the ice. Mom was gripping the edge of her seat, her face pearly white, while dad swerved the steering wheel uselessly to try to avoid what was about to happen. I stared wide-eyed out the windscreen. The tree looked as though it was getting bigger as we sped towards it. The sound of my own piercing scream filled my ears as we smashed into the huge tree, and then it was black.


	2. Saved

Ahhh Lissi, I knew I could count on you to be my first reviewer! :)

_LittleLissi: _Thanks babe, love you too :) x  
_RonHermioneForeverx: _Wow, thanks! That was a really good review, waaay nicer than any I was expecting! Thanks so much! Stay tuned for the following chapters, hopefully they'll be just as good as your view on this one! :) x  
_NinnykinsXx: _Buce. Gr. You fanny. :P If I didn't know who you were, that would have been the **wierdest** review in the **world.** LMAOOO :) And aaaaaah tanks. Must be why I've got loads of reviews. All 3 of em. :D Yes Nin. Wibble Wobble. Jelly. Hi. :) Are you taking the biscuits out of my cows? :) x  
_alexbabey: _Aaaah thankss babee ! :) I bet your mummy was like :( fine. :L thankyouu babeeey :D loveyouu xxx  
_larlotte xxx: _Hahaa thankyouu :) I wish :D x

_**Disclaimer: **Nothing from Twilight is mine. I own nothing of it. The characters ect. all belong to Stephenie Meyer. I only own the story line of this fanfic._

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_**Before the Storm  
**_**(Chapter 2 - Saved)**

I'm dead. I must be. I knew it. I told him. But the pain… surely there shouldn't be this much pain if I'm dead. It must be hell. All the things I said to my dad before I died must have been too bad for forgiveness. Even though he was the one that got me killed. I hope he was in hell too. He deserved it. Mom will be alive. She's a fighter.

That was when I heard something. A humming…? No. More like speech. But… what? I can't hear properly. But… this meant… I'm alive? Oh my god, I'm alive. And someone was talking to me. I wanted to shout at them, to scream, that I was alive, that I could hear them. But all I could manage was to groan. Another low mumble, more speaking. I could tell it was a man speaking. Then cold. Freezing cold, on my forehead. And then… I was flying. Air whooshing past me, pain slicing every part of my body, and cold. So cold. This was it. _Now_ I was dying. But my senses were coming back to me. I could feel. Feel the pain. Excruciating pain. And I could smell. Smell the wet, sticky blood that was covering my body. And… my eyes. I found them, and I could use them again. I opened them slowly, blinking quickly. Everything was quite blurry, but I could see the outline of a face above me. It was at that moment that I realised I had stopped flying. I was still, and so was the face above me.

I blinked a couple more times to clear my eyes. The face above me came into focus and I gasped, shocked. He was wintry pale, with golden brown eyes. His hair was a white blonde colour, and he looked as though he was carved from stone. His hand was pressed to my forehead; so _that_ was what was so cold. But… how was his hand so cold? Surely that temperature would mean that he's dead, but obviously, he wasn't. Was I? I wasn't so sure… I felt a sudden stab of pain in my right leg, just below the knee. I groaned as the pain increased as I became fully conscious again.

"Does that hurt?" the man asked.

I couldn't answer his question, his beauty causing me to stutter. I couldn't take my eyes off his stunning face. There was something about him that seemed extremely familiar, but I couldn't place it.

His marble forehead creased; the fact that I didn't answer worried him. "Sweetheart, I need you to answer me in order for me to help you," he said in a gentle tone.

I cleared my throat in order for the words to come out properly, but then I realised who this man was.

"You!" I croaked. "You're the doctor! The one my mom always sees whenever we come down here!"

He smiled, relieved that I answered him. "Yes," he said.

I struggled, trying to sit up. The doctor put his hand against my shoulder softly pushing me back down again.

"Just relax. Moving will do you no good."

"But, doctor—"

"Please, call me Carlisle," he interrupted.

"Okay then, Carlisle. Where am I? Am I dead? Where's mom? And Dad? What—"

He raised his hand to signal for me to listen and I was quiet immediately. There was something about Carlisle that you just knew you had to obey. "First of all, what's your name sweetie?" he asked.

"Roxanne," I said, wincing from more pains in various parts of my body. "Roxy Tyler."

"Well Roxy," the doctor said, "you are in Forks, at my house so I can… treat you. And no, you are not dead."

"What about mom and dad?" I asked panicked.

"Ssssh…" he whispered. "We'll talk later. We don't have much time…" His expression became pained as his eyes raked over my body. "Roxanne—"

"Roxy," I managed to croak as the pain in my body increased.

"Roxy, there's no easy way of saying this. I'm so sorry, but you're dying. I've checked you over, double checked, triple checked, but there's nothing I can do to save you. Except…" he hesitated, speculating.

"Except what…? Please. Anything," I stammered. "I don't want to die. I'm only 16! I have my whole life ahead of me! Do anything you have to, no matter how painful…" Tears were streaming down my face knowing that I only had a few minutes left of my life.

Carlisle looked at me with eyes that looked ancient. "Roxanne. I _can_ treat you but… it's painful. Extremely painful. And I have to explain _everything _to you first—"

"I don't care. Just do it. Now." I winced and groaned a little as the pain became unbearable.

"Okay…" he said hesitantly. "But I need you to understand that you won't be able to see any of your friends and family ever again. You would have to live here with my family and me for approximately a year, but then you could go off and do what you like. This life has a price."

"Wait, what life? You're going to make me better aren't you? Same old life afterwards. And what do you mean I won't be able to see my family?" I cried, wincing at the pain that was about to end my life. His eyes were grave as he considered my reaction.

"If I tell you, you will never believe me. Just answer me this. Would you rather die now, a human, or live forever?" he asked me.

"What do you mean human?" I asked, completely confused. "And what do you mean by live forever?"

Carlisle sighed and said, "I know this is hard to believe, but if I stop you from dying now, then you can never die, and you won't be human." He eyed me cautiously, watching my reaction.

"Okay," I said, "you're taking the mess now. Not human," I scoffed. "Stop being so stupid and heal me already."

"I'm not joking Roxanne. You will be different. Completely different." He shook his head. "I told you that you wouldn't believe me."

Now _I_ was shaking _my_ head. Not human my ass. And as if there was any way that I could live forever. But I didn't want to die and I could tell that time was running out.

"Okay then Carlisle, do what you have to do." I was losing consciousness, but the pain was also dulling. I knew that I was dying, and that he'd have to be quick in whatever he had to do.

"Are you sure…?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yes… please… you're a doctor right? It's your job to save my life…" I whispered.

"It shouldn't be like this," he whispered. It sounded as though he was talking to himself, and his eyes looked tortured as he watched me die.

"Okay," he said. "I'll save you. I know it's the right thing. But I have to warn you, this will hurt."

I was way past being able to respond, so I just nodded weakly. This was it. The moment when my life would either end, or continue. I stared up at the beautiful face that was hovering above me, waiting for him to decide my fate.


	3. Fire

Thanks so much to _RonHermioneForeverx_ for the amazing reviews! You're the only one who seems to be reviewing, and you're the one that keeps me writing! Hopefully I should get some more reviewers soon, or maybe I should drop the Story?

_RonHermioneForeverx:_ Wow, thanks again! And I'm glad you want to read more! :) I think it's pretty obvious what Carlisle's going to do, but read ahead to find out! :) x  
_NinnykinsXx: _Just to let you know meaty, i hate that name. And god knows what _VREY_ means mwahahahaa. And hahaha yes I do :) and no, I do not think we should write a story, because it'll probably end up about animals and Alex. Hahahaaa :) Bye braces. x  
_alexbabey: _Thankss babeey :) I am proud. This is the last chapter my daddy saw :) xxx  
_meeeee larlotte x: _Hahaaa I still can't get it out my head the way you were sat there in German reading it like SHHH! I'm reading! :L hahaa good timess :) REad on my friend read on :) x

_**Disclaimer: **Nothing from Twilight is mine. I own nothing of it. The characters ect. all belong to Stephenie Meyer. I only own the story line of this fanfic._

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**_Before the Storm_  
(Chapter 3 - Fire)**

Carlisle leaned towards me as if he was going to kiss me but he pressed his lips to my neck. I was about to ask stupidly if kissing me was part of the process, but then… he bit me. Oh my god. This strange, handsome man just bit my neck. It felt strange. The place where his teeth broke my skin was warm. It was _really _warm. Like having my neck pressed against a radiator that's been on for a while. It warmed my whole head, and then started spreading over my shoulders, down my back. It was the strangest sensation I'd ever felt. It was getting warmer and warmer. Hotter. Too Hot. Much, much too hot. Burning. Like fire spreading through my veins. It was burning my whole body. It was like sitting in a volcano while it was erupting. I managed to open my eyes and stare at the doctor with wide, pain filled eyes. "What have you done?" I managed to gasp.

He just looked at me with eyes full of remorse. He took my hand in both of his and squeezed it gently. I screamed so loudly that it felt like my lungs were exploding. Carlisle's looked ancient.

"I'm so sorry Roxy. This was the only way to save you."

"What, by biting me?" I screeched.

The doctor nodded. "I told you it was going to hurt. But don't panic, you'll be fine in about 3 days—"

"3 days!" I screamed at him. I crushed his hand but he looked as though he didn't notice. Or care. "What's happening to me?"

"Let me start from the beginning…" he said gently.

"Good idea! You do that while I lie her and BURN!" I yelled before letting out another bloodcurdling scream.

Carlisle rubbed my hands soothingly but it didn't calm me or stop the pain at all.

"Listen to me Roxy. I was hunting in the forest when I smelt your blood—"

"What are you talking about, we weren't anywhere _near_ a forest when we crashed! And what do you mean you smelt my blood?" I asked, exasperated.

Carlisle shook his head calmly. "If you're not going to listen I'll just have to wait until you're transformed to explain everything."

I let out another scream of pain before saying "Fine, but could you hurry up? I want to know what's happening to me!"

"Okay," he said solemnly, "but, please, don't scream. It doesn't help anything, and it certainly doesn't take the pain away."

"No, but it makes me feel better," I growled.

Carlisle sighed, and squeezed my hand again, but I couldn't feel anything because of the fire. I couldn't even feel his icy temperature.

"As I was saying," Carlisle continued, "I smelt your blood so I came to investigate. I saw the car wreckage; when your car collided with the tree it must have flipped over, because when I found you, the car was on its roof. Anyway, I ripped the door off so that I could get to you—"

"You _ripped_ the door off?" I asked breathlessly.

"Yes," he said calmly.

I waited for him to say something for a few seconds, but he didn't look as though he was going to add anything else. I nodded slightly, breathing heavily through clenched teeth to stop myself from screaming again.

"Okay," I breathed, "carry on."

Carlisle nodded and kept his face an emotionless mask. "As I was saying, I ripped the door out of the way so that I could get to you and your parents, but…" His face turned grave. "I'm so sorry, Roxanne. Your parents didn't survive."

It was a few moments before this registered in my mind. This time, I wasn't just screaming from the physical pain, the emotional pain was too much.

"No!" I screamed. "You must have made a mistake! My mom…"

There was no _way _my mom could be dead… absolutely no way! She could fight through anything!

"I'm sorry Roxy. Her heart wasn't beating. If it was, I might have been able to save her. Her and your father got the worst of it hitting the tree full on, whereas you were more shielded in the back. Not _very_ shielded," he added, "but more so than your parents."

And that was when I burst into tears. Why was my life so screwed up? How did it all go wrong within a couple of minutes? I knew _exactly_ how; my idiotic, maniac of a father. He ruined my life, and ended my moms, all because he wanted to prove a point! I started shrieking a load of profanities, screaming about how I hated my dad, and how I was glad he died. And I was. I was so happy about that fact that I started laughing hysterically.

It was official. Carlisle had driven insane.

He looked at me with a confused and concerned expression on his face. "Roxanne, what are you laughing at?" he asked.

"Matt deserved to die. He's in hell right now, I know it," I said with an evil grin.

"Who's Matt?" Carlisle said, confused.

"My so called father," I spat. "He doesn't have the _right_ to be called dad anymore. He's such a stupid basta—!"

"Now, now Roxanne. That's a bit harsh isn't it?" Carlisle interrupted.

"He killed my mom! And almost killed me!" I yelled. Then I screamed again. I'd almost forgot about the fire. It was like it was a part of the anger, but now the anger had faded a little, the fire took its place, raging and burning worse than ever.

Carlisle's face changed. It became stern, and I was immediately paying attention.

"There's one thing you should know if you're going to be living with us for a while. The one thing I absolutely _hate_, is violence. No matter what, we try to always be reasonable. Violence is a last resort."

That put me in my place. The expression on his face was one of sheer hatred. Whatever I had been planning to do to my father's dead body went out the window. I swallowed loudly to stop myself from screaming again, and said breathlessly, "Okay. I'll remember that. I promise, no violence."

Carlisle nodded sharply, and then continued with his explanation as though my whole shouting match had never happened.

"I managed rip off the sides of the car and the bit above you so that I could get to you easily without hurting you."

"Rip up the car…?" I asked through my teeth.

He nodded and said, "You'll understand soon enough."

I shook my head manically. "I doubt it. You're not making any sense!"

"Just pretend I'm telling you a fictional story. Try not to believe it. It's easier that way."

I took a deep breath to steady myself, and nodded slightly. "Okay," I breathed. "But be quick please… I can't cope not knowing for much longer."

The fire was raging through all my body now. It had spread from my neck all the way down to my toes. Every nerve inside my body was like a live wire, and I could feel every spark of the fire burning through me.

"I understand. It must be very strange for you," The doctor whispered.

"Yeah, yeah, can you get on with it please!" I huffed through the pain.

"Of course," he said. "As you know, I brought you here and checked you over again. That was when you woke up."

"Okay, so I know everything that happened since then obviously," My words tumbled out as I struggled to keep from screaming. "So why did you bite me? What's happening to me?"

"The only way to save you was to inject your body with venom, by biting you," he whispered intensely, watching cautiously for my reaction.

"Venom? You mean you've poisoned me?" I shrieked.

"No, no! Well…" he hesitated. "Sort off. But it won't kill you, I promise!"

"Then why do I feel like I'm been burnt at the stake?" I shouted as the fire raged even more out of control.

"Because it's spreading through your body, changing everything. Every bone, every organ, every cell in your body is changing. When the transformation is complete you'll be completely different. You won't even be human."

I was silent for a while, thinking that through. Even though the fire was making it hard to think, it seemed like there was so much more room in my head. It didn't take me long to put things together, but it seemed… ridiculous.

"You say it as if you know from experience, like _you're_ not human. And how can you smell my blood from such a long way away, or smell it at all at that. And bite me on the neck to be transformed… what are you a vampire?" I laughed.

Carlisle just stared at me. I stared back, into his light golden eyes. I saw something there in them. I saw pity.

He moved very slowly and precisely to place his hand over my heart. "I'm so sorry Roxanne Tyler. Really, I Am." He whispered.

"No… that's impossible…! You can't be a… a vampire!" I said quietly. I thought about it all. Everything he'd said seemed to add up to that explanation but… he couldn't be! But in that instant I knew it was true. Carlisle was a vampire, and I was turning into one.

"Oh my god…" I whispered.

There was a little movement by the door but I didn't turn to look. I was too busy trying to take in what I had just discovered.

"Carlisle?" a female voice asked. "Can I talk to her?

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_Was that too... cleche? Too short? Too... i don't know, anything? Review and let me know what you think! :)_


	4. Discovered

Shortest chapter yet, but I've had a lot on lately, don't judge me! The next one should be longer thouhg. :) I hope this isn't as rubbish as it looks to me... Maybe that's why I'm not getting many reviews! :) If you read this, _please_ review; it';s the only payment we author's get on here! :)

I'm dedicating this chapter to my best friend in the whole wide world, Ione. :) She's helped me through the past couple of weeks and supported me so much that it's impossible to describe how much it means to me.

_RonHermioneForeverx: _Your welcome! Anyone who's as good a reviewer as you deserves a mention! I hope I do... It's a lot of effort to write a story for two people! :) And haha I suppose I should keep writing then to stop you losing your marbles! :) x  
_LittleLissi:_ Ahhh glad you like it babe :) I love you too. And cookies. Just saying. ;) :L x  
_alexbabey: _Hahaa thankyouu I do try ;) :L I am proud :) x  
_lala larlotte xx: _Bean bag to you too :) Hahaa that was funny when you were like IS IT BELLA ? IS IT? IT IS INSN'T IT! And i was like Maaaaybe. ;) :L x

_**Disclaimer: **Nothing from Twilight is mine. I own nothing of it. The characters ect. all belong to Stephenie Meyer. I only own the story line of this fanfic._

_

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_

_**Before the Storm**  
_**(Chapter 4 - Discovered)**

I turned my head to the side to look at the person standing in the doorway, and stopped breathing. She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. Her skin was wintry pale, like Carlisle's, and her eyes were exactly the same colour as his. Her gorgeous reddish brown hair flowed all the way down her back to her waist, and even when she was motionless she looked graceful. She was dressed in skinny jeans and a light blue tight top. Her sneakers were blue and were covered in jewels that sparkled subtly.

"Of course," Carlisle replied. "I'll leave you with her."

"No-!" I started to say. I didn't want him to leave me.

"Trust me. You'll be fine. I'll come back soon." He said. As he walked out the room he placed his hand on the woman's shoulder momentarily and murmured something I couldn't make out before leaving.

The beautiful woman came and sat in the chair beside the operating table I was laid on. I took this chance to look around the room for the first time. It was bright white with only two chairs and a silver table on which I was laid. One wall in the room was made completely out of glass.

"Hello," she said gently.

"Hey," I grunted.

"My names Bella," she whispered.

"Roxy," I huffed.

"I know you must be terrified Roxy," she said softly.

"Yeah. This kind of sucks you know," I said quietly.

"The burning?" she asked. "Don't worry. It'll pass."

"Well yeah, but also the fact that I'm going to have to stay indoors during the day, I'll have to sleep in a coffin, I'll have to kill people, and, oh crap I'm going to have _fangs_!" I wailed.

Bella laughed sweetly; it sounded like singing.

"Don't worry. Sunlight won't kill us. But we do have to avoid it in front of people…" At that moment the clouds parted slightly to reveal a dimly shining sun. I gasped as soon as the sunlight beamed through the window and hit the spot where Bella sat.

Where the sunrays hit her skin it sparkled. It literally sparkled, like a thousands diamonds were etched into the surface. I was completely speechless, shocked into dumbness by her beauty.

She chuckled lightly. "I still can't get used to that," she whispered, marvelling at her own skin.

After a few minutes I managed to mutter, "So you're not going burst into flames then?"

Bella laughed again, shaking her head. "No, I'm not. But we've got to make sure that we don't go out in the sunlight in front of people."

I nodded, understanding quickly. "This would _seriously_ freak somebody out."

"As for everything else," she continued, "You wouldn't have to sleep in a coffin." She paused momentarily. "We don't sleep."

"You don't sleep?" I asked stupidly. "At all? Ever?"

"Nope," she said, grinning. "Never."

"Don't you ever get tired?" I asked.

"Nah," she said, "It's great. It means you never miss a thing in life, and you have more time to do what you want to. Mind you, I suppose you wouldn't really need the extra time considering we live forever…"

I thought about that for a little while, wondering if she was being serious.

"Wow," I said after a few minutes. "You must have a lot of spare time then."

"You could say that," she said, smirking at a memory.

"Wait a minute though, what about the fangs? You don't seem to have any, and neither does Carlisle. Your not really vampires are you? You're taking the piss!" I screeched.

"No, no, no!" Bella soothed. "Trust me, we are vampires. But we don't need fangs to feed. Our teeth are strong enough. You saw that when Carlisle bit you, he did that with such ease he wouldn't need extra sharp teeth."

I took a deep breath to steady myself, before sighing heavily.

"It's the pain getting to you sweetheart," Bella said taking my hand.

I nodded sharply. "I suppose so, I'm just not thinking about things right now. But there's one last thing…" I hesitated at the end not wanting to continue.

"Go on," Bella encouraged.

"Well… what about the people? I'm going to have to… feed. I don't want to be a murderer," I whispered.

Bella looked at me with soft eyes. "Roxy, you don't have to worry. We won't let you go near a human for a while, until you're stable.

I narrowed my eyes to glare at her a little. "What do you mean stable? Explain."

"Okay, when you're fully transformed you're going to be thirsty. Extremely thirsty." She shuddered at a memory that I was sure I didn't want to hear about.

"Anyway," Bella continued, "Our family isn't like other vampires. We don't like the idea of killing humans for out own benefit, so we have an alterative. When Carlisle became a vampire he was disgusted by what he had become, so hid far away from where any humans were. He managed for days without feeding at all, but he was weak. When he was about to give up, a small deer walked past where Carlisle was roughing it, and he didn't even have to think about it and just lept straight into feeding. When he had drained his kill he realised that there was a way around killing people. And since then, he's managed fine. And so have we." She finished with a smile.

"So," I said, "I _don't_ have to eat people?" I asked.

She laughed a little. "No Roxy. You don't have to eat people."

"But I have to eat animals?" I asked wrinkling my nose. "Well that sucks, I'm a vegetarian!"

Bella grinned and said, "That's ironic. That's what we call ourselves, vampire vegetarians. Its a little inside joke."

"Well I suppose that's better than eating people isn't it." I grunted.

We sat in silence for a little while, while I thought about my new discoveries. So Carlisle had managed to survive on animal blood, and so had Bella. It sounded like a right challenge. But wait… Bella hadn't only said that _she'd_ managed…

"You said we," I said quietly.

"Yes," Bella said confused. "And?"

"Who's we? It's not just you and Carlisle?"

"No," she said quietly, "It's not just us two. Our whole family live here."

I waited for her to continue, but she said nothing.

"So, when do I get to meet them?" I asked.

"As soon as you're transformed. When you're thinking straight and aren't in a lot of paint you'll be able to talk to each of them and get to know them. You're going to become a part of our family." She smiled.

I smiled at that thought. A beautiful, gentle doctor had welcomed a dying stranger into his home, and then made me a part of his family. I got tears in my eyes as I thought of my family and friends back home who I would never see ever again. I smiled slightly as I tears rolled gently down my face. I lost one family, but was being adopted into another all in the same day.

I took a deep breath to steady myself but at that moment the pain increased in my chest so I cried out.

Bella grabbed my hand so quickly that her hand was a blur. "Shhhh," she soothed. "It'll be over soon. I promise."


	5. Bella

Wooow this is the longest chapter! I put the most effort and research into this one, and yet it took me the shortest time to write!

I think it turned out pretty well, but it could be a whole lot better.

This chapter is being dedicated to one of my bestest friends, Lissi :) On here she's known as _LittleLissi_ and she's got a totally amazing Harry Potter story going on! It's great; go read it! :)

_LittleLissi: _Thanks babe :) Hopefully this one is the best chapter so far :) Loveyouu :) x_  
RonHermioneForeverx: _Thanks! Hahahaa _NinnykinsXx_ is my best friend and next door neighbour. She's amazing ! :) Ahhh thanks! Well heres the update! Hope you like :) x  
_alexbabey: _Inoo its really sad :( Haha "the vampire people" Love it :) :L Best description EVER :D :L Hahaa inoo if we were late anywhere it'd be like WOOHOOO superspeed ! :L x  
_NinnykinsXx: _Ahaa inoo you did you like dived on me! :L Haha "I'm short and I get along fine!" Hahaa I like it :) x  
_lala larlotte xx: _Good good, you do that :) x

_**Disclaimer: **Nothing from Twilight is mine. I own nothing of it. The characters ect. all belong to Stephenie Meyer. I only own the story line of this fanfic._

_

* * *

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_**Before the Storm**  
_**(Chapter 5 - Bella)**

We sat like that for a long, long time; me screaming all the while. I wasn't paying much attention to the passing time, but when I thought about it, I realised that I had been bitten at night. The sun had risen while Bella was with me, and then it fell and rose again, which left me counting one more day left of this torture.

Right now, it was about 5pm. Only two more hours till sundown. And I'm just guessing, but I'm pretty sure the venom doesn't pay attention to time scales, so it should be over pretty soon.

A lot had happened in the past 2 days. I got a whole lot stronger, and I learnt to think _around_ the pain of the raging fire. My hearing got clearer and clearer, and I could count the frantic, pounding beats of my heart. I continued to get stronger, my thoughts clearer. When new noises came, I would listen. I could hear light footsteps coming from other rooms. I knew that I shouldn't be able to hear them, and that a couple of days ago, I certainly wouldn't have. But the fact that I could hear such things were a sign that my body was changing rapidly and that the end would soon be near.

Through all these changes and developing senses, the racking fire went on burning me. But there was so much space in my head now. Room to remember what had happened on the tragic night of the crash, room to look ahead to the future, with still endless room left to suffer.

Also room to think, and wonder.

I'd spent a lot of time thinking about what I was going to turn out like, when a thought suddenly came to me.

"Bella?" I whispered quietly. This was the first thing I'd said since I discovered what was happening to me.

"Yes?" she answered, equally as quiet.

"How did _you_ become a vampire?" I asked tenderly.

Bella stiffened slightly, like it was a memory she didn't particularly want to relive.

"It's complicated..." she muttered.

"I think I'll understand. There's a whole lot more room in my head to figure it out, you know," I said, tapping my finger against the side of my head.

Bella sighed, and settled down to be more comfortable in her chair. This looked as though it was going to be a loooooong story.

"I moved to Forks when I was 17 to live with my dad," she started. "On my first day at school here, I fell in love with Edward Cullen."

"Edward Cullen?" I said. "Isn't he-?"

"Carlisle's son. Yes."

"Did you know he was a vampire?"

"No, not at that moment. But I did know that he was something more than human." She whispered intensely.

"What happened?" I asked, staring wide-eyed into the beautiful vampire's eyes. I hadn't realised before that they were exactly the same colour as Carlisle's.

"Well, eventually, I did discover what he was, and I also discovered that he was in love with me too. Even though Edward knew it would be tricky, we decided to give it a go."

"A whole lot of stuff happened to us, some of which nearly split us up. But I didn't want to lose him, and so I became determined to become one of his kind, so we could be together properly, as equals."

"At first Edward wasn't too keen on this idea, putting it mildly," she grinned. "But something happened to us that pretty much made this conclusion the only way to keep me alive."

"What could have been so drastic?" I asked, horrified.

"The Volturi," Bella shuddered at the name.

"Who are they?" I whispered, not sure if I actually wanted to know.

"They are the closest thing that we vampires have to royalty. They uphold the law—"

"Vampires have laws?" I interrupted.

"Only one," Bella stated. "That no human must ever know of our existence."

"But you knew!" I cried, really getting into her story.

"Exactly. The Volturi decided that I either had to become immortal, or I would become their dinner. Literally."

I shuddered, horrified at how someone would have to have gone through such terror in their lives.

"So what happened?"

"Well," Bella said, "Obviously, Edward didn't want me to die, that in itself would have killed him. So, he chose to obey the Volturi and change me into a vampire."

"What, just like that? That's how you were turned?" I asked.

"Oh, no," she replied, a smile spreading across her face. "There's so much more to it than that."

I was so intrigued by Bella's story that I had almost forgotten about the raging fire coursing through my veins. Almost.

Oblivious to my pain, Bella continued.

"Edward still wasn't happy with me becoming a vampire, but it was inevitable that it was going to happen. Carlisle agreed with me, and we set the date of my transformation; after graduation."

"Edward then seemed to realise that this was going to happen, but he still didn't want it to be so soon. He offered me something that he thought would make me wait. He knew that I desperately wanted _him_ to be the one to transform me, and so he offered me this, on the condition that I waited a few years."

"Of course I said no," Bella said matter of factly. "But eventually, we did agree on something..."

Bella's whole face lit up as she relived this memory that she was about to share with me.

"Edward said that what I wanted the most was for him to be the one to change me. And what he wanted the most was for me to marry him. And so, we made a compromise that he would be the one to do it, on the condition that I married him first."

"Well, I couldn't exactly say no to that one," Bella beamed.

"That must be the most romantic thing I've ever heard!" I sighed.

"Ha! 'Okay Bella, marry me first, and then I promise to bite you.' Oh yeah, _really_ romantic!" she laughed.

"So you went through all of that, and you were _still_ human?" I asked.

Bella nodded and said, "I did tell you it was complicated."

"True," I replied. "So how did you become a vampire?"

"Well, after Edward and I got married, he took me to a gorgeous little island called Isle Esme for our honeymoon."

"Isle Esme? I've never heard of that," I quizzed.

"Oh, that's because Carlisle bought it for his wife," Bella stated.

"He bought his wife an _island?_" I asked sceptically.

"I know, I couldn't believe it either," she shook her head. "Anyway, beforehand Edward and I had agreed to try and... you know..." she blushed. (Well, she would have if it were possible.)

"What?" I asked puzzled.

"Have sex..." she mumbled.

"Oh... um... right... Carry on."

"Well, even though it was dangerous, coz you know, he could have crushed me to death with one movement, I still wanted to have this experience while I was still human. So we agreed to try."

"Anyway, it went perfectly fine. Or at least, we thought it had..."

"A couple of weeks later, I realised that I'd skipped my last period... Gosh this is embarrassing, I hope Emmett isn't listening..." she mumbled to herself.

"Emmett?" I asked.

"You'll meet him later." Bella waved her hand at me, shunning the idea away.

"Anyway," she continued, "There was no way I was pregnant. The only person I'd ever had sex with was a vampire for crying out loud! Vampires couldn't have children. But there was a difference..."

"Women vampires cannot conceive a child, because we're frozen in the state in which we passed from human to immortal. Unable to change. And human women's bodies have to _change_ to bear their children. Vampire's bodies couldn't change. But mine could. Mine _did._"

I stared at Bella open-mouthed, unable to respond to the drama that was her previous life.

"And human men," she continued, "well, they pretty much stay the same from puberty to death. Men have no such thing as child-bearing years or cycles of fertility."

"You see, no one could have known that vampire men could father children, when their partners were not able. And plus, there are hardly any vampires on this earth that would have the restraint necessary to test the theory with a human woman, or the inclination. My vampire did. And my vampire had gotten me pregnant."

"What did you do?" I whispered, extremely curious as to where this was going.

"Well, the development of the child inside me was sped up. It had only been two weeks and already I had 3 months worth of pregnancy going on inside me."

"Edward being Edward knew that our baby was a danger to me, and so wanted to get rid of it. Of course, I didn't let him."

"This kind of foetus gets out of the mothers body by ripping its way out of her womb. And about a month later, that was exactly what my baby tried to do."

I gasped, completely lost in the story.

"Now, you _really_ don't want to know all the gory details, but somehow, Edward managed to stop me from dying. I was injected with his venom, and then there was the burning, and now... here I am. Shiny and new."

I hadn't even realised that I was holding my breath until I let out the huff of air.

It was silent for a few minutes, as I took in everything that Bella had told me, turning it all over in my mind.

"What did you call it? You're kid?" I whispered.

"Renesmee," Bella smiled. "She's called Renesmee. See, my mother's name is Renee, and Edward's adopted mom, and my mother-in-law, is called Esme."

"It's a very beautiful, unique name," I smiled warmly.

"Perfectly fitting for my beautiful, unique daughter," Bella grinned back.

"So how old is she now?" I asked.

"Fifteen," Bella replied.

"You've been a vampire for fifteen years?" I asked again.

"Nope, four years," Bella grinned.

"But Renesmee's fifteen? How does that work?" I asked, puzzled.

"Remember how I said that my nine month pregnancy was fit into one month?"

I nodded.

"Well, her fifteen years of growing up were all fit into four years of life."

"Well, surely that means that in a few years time she'll be an old woman?" I gasped, horrified.

"Wrong again," Bella grinned. "At fifteen, her mind and body are fully matured, and now she'll never age and will live forever, just like the rest of us."

I was about to say that I was happy for her, at how everything had turned out right for her, when something strange happened.

The pain started to fade from my fingertips and toes. It was fading slowly, but at least it was doing something new. This had to be it. The pain was on its way out...

Something else changed. The fire in my throat wasn't the same. Not only was I on fire, but I was now so thirsty too. Dry as a bone. Burning fire, and burning thirst...

Also, the fire in my heart got hotter.

How is that even _possible?_

My heart, already beating far too fast, picked up; the fire driving it to a frantic pace.

"Bella!" I gasped. "My heart!"

Bella stood up so fast that she should have been a blur. She took my hand and I squeezed it so hard that it should have crushed her, but she didn't even flinch.

"Carlisle," Bella called leaning intently over my body. Her voice was low but clear. I knew that he or any other vampire would hear it if he were in or near the house.

The fire retreated from my palms, leaving them blissfully cool and pain-free. But it retreated to my heart, which blazed hotter than the sun and beat at an ever faster, furious speed.

Carlisle entered the room and stood at the other side of the operating table, opposite where Bella was stood.

"Listen," Bella whispered.

The only sound in the room was my franticly beating heart. Until I opened my mouth and screamed the loudest, blood-curdling scream I could muster.

"Sssh, Roxy," Carlisle tried to reassure me. "It's almost over!"

My happiness at his words was overpowered by the excruciating pain in my heart.

The fire was totally extinguished in my wrists and ankles, but the fire was still retreating back to my heart.

"Roxy, don't worry, just try not to panic okay? It'll be over soon I promise!" Bella yelled at me over my own screams of pain. "Which parts of you are cold?"

At that point, the fire ripped hotter still through my chest, draining in from my elbows and knees.

I pointed to where the fire had just left me when suddenly...

I screamed the loudest I had ever screamed in my life. If my throat wasn't already burning with thirst it would have felt as though it was being ripped out.

My heart took off, beating faster than helicopter blades. It sucked all the fire from the other parts of my body to fuel its most ferocious battle yet.

I squeezed my eyes shut, as though not being able to see anything would help.

I writhed in pain as it became a battle inside me. My heart was racing against the raging fire; and both were losing. The fire had consumed everything else in my body, and my heart raced towards its last beat.

The fire concentrated on the one remaining human organ with a final surge. My heart thudded in my chest, and then stuttered a little. This was answered by one last, half-hearted thud.

There was no sound. No breathing. Not even mine.


	6. Brand New

Sorry it took so long to update, I've been SUPER busy!

I'm not too sure about this chapter, let me know what you think! :)

This chapter is dedicated to Alex Oliver (_alexbabey_) for putting up with me for a whole week! Also I hope his makes up for missing the dancing show! :( Sorry btw :L

_LittleLissi: _I think our AVPM sesh was wicked if im honest! :D More story? I like it. :) :L Love youu :) xx  
_nattikur cullen: _Wow thankyou :) New reviewer :D Glad you like it :) Keep reading and reviewing please :D xx  
_alexbabey: _haha glad you likey :) and stop being so rude to your mammy or she'll be mean back ! :L Keep reading babee :) This oness for you ;D xx  
_NinnykinsXx: _Oh Ione i bet yours isn't rubbish! Not that I'd know considering I havn't been allowed to see it yet... :L Bye meaty :) xx  
_lala larlotte xxx: _Well heres one step closer to the book you are awaiting :) :L review and you get chocolate ;) xx  
_RonHermioneForeverx: _Haha thankyou! I'm glad that came across :) Heres the chapter you were waiting for :D xx

_**Disclaimer: **Nothing from Twilight is mine. I own nothing of it. The characters ect. all belong to Stephenie Meyer. I only own the story line of this fanfic._

_

* * *

_

I wasn't breathing. This felt natural, yet strange. I took a deep breath in but it felt wrong. I didn't need the air to keep me alive anymore; it wasn't a necessity. But it felt _good. _I could taste everything. I could taste the dust motes swirling around after my intake of breath. I could taste the sweet taste of vanilla and lavender coming from somewhere beside me.

As soon as I took a breath in Carlisle and Bella began breathing again.

I sat up, fast as lightning. The motion was meant to be casual, but the suddenness of the movement startled even me. I was already moving so much quicker than when I was human, and my new life had only started three seconds ago.

My eyes flew open.

I inhaled in shock, as I realised that I had never clearly seen the world.

The dust motes that I had tasted earlier spun like little planets, dancing around each other beautifully. I could see each and every one of them, and the sides which the light touched.

When I looked above me at the dark wood, I could distinguish every single grain that was entwined into the ceiling.

I could look at the brilliant light overhead without hurting my eyes, and I could see every single colour of the rainbow there; including an eighth colour at the very end of the spectrum.

Finally, I saw Carlisle and Bella stood by my bedside.

Carlisle took my hand (which was now warm against mine considering we were the same temperature) and pulled me into a standing position so fast that everything should have become a blur.

His face was even more pronounced when I looked at him through these eyes, and I could see every feature. He truly was beautiful. _Now_ I see what my mother saw in him.

When I thought of my mom a burning anger rose up inside me, a smaller version of the fire.

I remembered why she had died, and that made the anger flare up even more.

Air hissed gently up my throat, bubbling its way up to the surface.

"Roxy," Bella whispered in a voice like wind-chimes. "Stay calm. I know this is overwhelming but don't panic. Look at me."

I looked at her. I took another intake of breath in shock; she was more beautiful than Carlisle.

I realised that I hadn't looked at her much when the transformation was taking place, and so I took my chance to now with my new and improved sight.

Her marble, heart-shaped face was shining like pearls under the lights in the room. Her long brown hair, starting with a widow's peak, ran all the way down to the middle of her back. Her features were very significant; a thin nose, a narrow jaw, a pointed chin. Her lips were full, only her top lip more so than her bottom, making them slightly un-even.

As I stared at her, her full lips parted and she spoke again in her beautiful sing-song voice.

"What do you feel?"

I stood stock still, thinking about what I felt. I don't _know_ what I felt. Everything was so different.

I took another breath in to speak, but as I did so my throat burned dryly.

"Thirsty," I replied.

This was the first time I had spoken since the transformation, and the voice that came out of my mouth sounded nothing like me.

It sounded like singing. Like a thousand bells chiming. A silvery, soft, beautiful sound that could never in a million years be made by me.

"What's happened to my voice?" I asked. Again, I heard the different sound come out.

"It's changed," Carlisle said simply.

"But never mind that," Bella said quickly. "Carlisle, she needs to hunt. She isn't as well informed as I was and so probably doesn't have the same self-control."

"You're right," Carlisle muttered. "You go and let the others know that she's changed. I'll take her."

There was a pause, and nobody moved.

"Carlisle?" Bella asked tenderly. "Could... could I take her? To hunt I mean?"

Carlisle's eyes widened with surprise. "Of course!" he said, placing a marble hand on her shoulder. "I hadn't thought of that."

He walked past her, brushing against her shoulder as he went. As he did so he whispered "look after her."

When I was human I would never have heard what he'd said even if I was stood right next to him. But now that my hearing had improved dramatically I probably could have heard it if I was anywhere within the house (if I was listening hard enough).

Bella took my hand slowly, so as not to startle me. "Roxy," she said, a slow grin spreading across her face. "I'm going to take you on your first hunt."

* * *

"Come on Roxy. It's _easy!_"

I shook my head stubbornly as I watched the deer resting a fair distance away.

"It smells disgusting!" I cried.

"That's because it's not human blood you smell. If it was then you wouldn't be so reluctant," Bella muttered.

I sighed and smelled the scent coming from the lone deer. I wrinkled my nose at the warm, tangy smell and said, "Is there nothing more appealing here?"

"Not today, no," Bella replied. "Carlisle checked earlier while you were still transforming."

Great. Now I was stuck with the stupid, stinky deer. Wonderful.

"Do you want me to go first?" she offered.

"Um... okay," I mumbled. I wouldn't admit it, but I was actually quite nervous. "But there's only one deer. How will I... feed?" I said the last word reluctantly.

"They'll be more deer around here somewhere," Bella replied. "Watch."

She stalked forward sinking into a low crouch, and then she moved so fast that the deer didn't have chance to register what had happened before it's neck had been snapped.

Within a minute the deer was drained of blood, and Bella walked calmly back to me, completely spotless.

While she was draining her kill the smell of blood had become stronger, and it had made my throat burn so badly that I was surprised at how I was rooted to the spot.

"There," Bella said. "Simple. Now close your eyes and use your sense of smell to find another deer."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in. I could smell the rich, earthy smell of moss, the resin in the evergreens, the warm, nutty aroma of small rodents cowering beneath tree roots, and also the smell of the dead deer that Bella had just mercilessly killed.

Reaching further out with my senses I could smell the warm tangy odour that matched that of the previous deer, somewhere off to the northeast.

My eyes snapped open and I sunk into a crouch, my instincts taking over. Now that my thirst was completely overwhelming me, the smell of the animal didn't seem too disgusting anymore.

I slunk forwards in my crouched position and followed the scent to a clearing of three deer grazing.

I took another deep breath and my nostrils filled with the scent of the animals, and without thinking about I took a light bound into the clearing.

I sailed through the air and landed on the male deer's back. The other two female's scattered at the sight of me, but I focused on the pulse in its neck and sunk my teeth in. It was as effortless as biting into butter; my teeth were razor sharp and it was hardly any effort at all.

The blood was hot and wet in my mouth and it soothed the ragged, itching thirst as I drank in an eager rush.

The deer became still in my hand as I drank the blood from its body. The warmth of it radiated through my whole body, warming even my fingertips and toes.

As soon as my kill ran dry, the thirst flared up again in my throat.

I stood up and moved to where Bella was leaning against a tree watching in one quick movement.

"Perfect!" she exclaimed. "And, not a drop on you! You did so much better than me on my first try."

Ignoring her praise, I quickly asked, "Why am I still thirsty?"

"Because you're young," she said simply. She suggested finding some more deer to feed on, and though the idea was still slightly repulsive, the burn in my throat stopped me from hesitating.

We found a large herd of mule deer closer to the house than before. Bella, already previously fed, sat down by a tree to evaluate my killings again.

I took a smooth, springy leap onto one of the larger bucks and struck it like a snake. My lips brushed smoothly against the skin on its neck as I bit easily into it. I repeated this with a couple more deer, until finally I announced I was finished. My insides felt all warm and slushy, which I was pretty sure meant I was full, even if the burn in my throat was only muted.

"You sure?" Bella asked. "We don't want you suddenly attacking a random human like I almost did on my first hunt."

"Bella, even if I'm not thirsty if I smell a human I'm bound to attack them anyway, right?"

"Right," she agreed. "Back home?"

I smiled at the thought. "Home." I agreed.

* * *

Jumping over the river was a thrill I was sure I'd never get tired of.

The way my legs just effortlessly left the floor as I sprung lightly into the air.

The way I landed in the dirt and set off running back to the house with such speed it was unimaginable.

The way I—

Holy shit.

I stopped so quickly that my heels dug into the ground.

"Roxy?" What's wrong?" Bella asked. But I hardly heard her.

I stood stock still staring at the reflection in the sheet of glass on the house in front of me, and the figure I saw there that was evidently me stared right back.

The slim build of her made her look beautiful and graceful even when motionless. All 5"3' of her looked perfect. A specimen which no man could resist. She was pale and her skin shone subtly like pearls in the dim light of dawn; nothing compared to the diamonds that glistened in full sunlight. Her short bright red hair contrasted perfectly with her pale skin as it fell in loose waves around her oval shaped face. All her facial features were perfectly symmetrical; her full lips, her prominent cheek bones, her sharp nose. But the most drastic change of all was her eyes. The once brown colour that was there had been replaced by a bright, blood coloured red.

There was no way on this earth that that was me.

My analysis of the reflection took all of five seconds before I sped up to where Bella was stood.

"My eyes. What's happened to them? They were brown! Now they're like... Ugh!" I shuddered. "Yours aren't this colour. Why are mine?"

"Because you're a newborn," Bella said slowly. "All that human blood you've still got inside you... it'll make your eyes red for a few months. But keep drinking animal blood and eventually they'll turn golden; like mine."

I relaxed at that; at least they wouldn't be this colour forever.

"But wait... Until then don't you think people will notice...?"

"Roxy honey, until then people won't be coming near enough to see the colour of your eyes anyway. You're not stable yet."

"Well how long until I will be stable?" I asked, my eyebrows furrowing together.

"About a year..." Bella said quietly.

"A year?" A year before I could see people? Normal people? _Human_ people?

"Maybe less if we can control you easily. It was only a couple of months before I went to school again."

Again, I relaxed slightly. At least I'd be going to school. I hadn't even finished my exams yet.

Suddenly I heard something from behind and I spun round as fast as lightning to defend myself. I crouched down into a protective position and a snarl worked its way up my throat, until I realised it was just Carlisle. I straightened up just as quickly as I had crouched down before Carlisle said, "Roxy, are you okay?"

I nodded and said "I'm fine. I'm not as thirsty now."

"That's good. Well, since your needs have been seen to, what would you like to do?" Carlisle asked.

I thought about that for a minute, to which I discovered that I had no reply. I didn't _know _what I wanted to do.

I told Carlisle this, to which he replying with something so simple, yet so scarily daunting.

"How about you meet your new family?"


End file.
